Mendoukusai Indeed
by Kyoku.x
Summary: “Ino…dear,” Shikamaru groaned, “I didn’t mean for him to pick up on it…it just sort of happened…I guess…” A ShikaIno Oneshot.


**Title:** Mendoukusai Indeed  
**Summery:** "Ino…dear," Shikamaru groaned, "I didn't _mean_ for him to pick up on it…it just sort of happened…I guess…" A Shikamaru/Ino one-shot.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Naruto…but if they happen to go missing anytime soon it wasn't me, let's get that cleared up right now.

Pre-fic A/N: I realize that it annoys some people when authors go all "OHFRIGGIN! W4TCH D3M J4P4N3Z33333 SKILLZ!" and throw random Japanese into their fics (which, heck, I'll admit it: I'm a hypocrite and I have done it in the past)…but the way I see it, "mendoukusai" isn't exactly random. Well, okay, it is…but most fans should at least know what it means without it being translated. And plus…I didn't like the way it worked with the English, so deal.  
**_EDIT 02.10.07:_** Since I wrote this before the anime was translated and put up on CN, I've gotten several reviews as of late asking what mendoukusai means (and one telling me I spelled it wrong, which I don't exactly understand, since technically _any_ Japanese word spelled with English characters is, in essence, "spelled wrong"). For those that do not know, mendoukusai best translates to "Troublesome" or "It is very troublesome." The fic, however, remains and will continue to remain in its original format, cuz I, the almighty author, say it shall be so. /endreallylongAN

**-!-!-**

"Shikamaru!" Ino called happily to her husband in the adjoining room. She heard him groan heavily as he rose from their creaking, thrift-store couch. He slumped against the doorframe looking as bored and indifferent as ever. She smiled sweetly, knowing he would not be pleased with her request, "Honey, feed Choji would you?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her and his eyes lazily roved to their young son who was already sitting on his high chair rampart, prepared for battle with his crisp bib breastplate and his shining spoon waving gallantly in the air. Shikamaru looked at his wife again and sighed at her sternly expectant expression. "Mendoukusai…" Shikamaru muttered under his breath before shuffling across the modest kitchen and snatching his son's weapon from him. Ino handed him a jar of pea-and-carrot baby food before kissing him on the cheek, smiling brightly, and then turning to prepare the adults' own dinner. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and slowly turned the cap of the container.

At the sound of the jar being opened, Choji squirmed and looked up at his father almost suspiciously. Shikamaru placed the spoon in the jar and stirred the vomit-like contents slowly, watching his son for just the right moment to strike. They examined each other intently, waiting for the other to falter in the battle of wills for some time, neither one relenting. _There_, Shikamaru saw through the child's defenses as the babe yawned in spite of himself and quickly the shinobi whipped the spoon from the bottle and into the child's mouth.

Choji looked positively shocked that his father would play such a dirty trick on his very own son. Shikamaru simply smirked and wiped a slowly escaping drabble of green ooze from Choji's chin. A disgusted look crept across the boy's face as he refused to swallow the revolting mouthful. The smirk on Shikamaru's lips exchanged itself for a frown and the father lowered himself to his son's eye level. "C'mon kid…swallow for yer old ma—" before he could finish, a green and orange blob erupted into his face.

"Men-say!" Choji squealed as he giggled at his father's sickened expression.

Ino snapped to attention and ceased rummaging through the pantry. She whirled around to face her son, mouth slightly agape. "Shikamaru!" she squealed, throwing a towel at her husband to wipe the food off his face, "Did he just say his first word!" She practically shoved her husband aside and stooped to look Choji in the eye, "Choji, baby! Say it again for Mommy! Say your word!" Ino beamed at her son, "Please honey, say your word for Mommy to hear!"

Choji giggled again, but only looked at his mother with sparkling eyes.

"Oooh…Shika! What was it he said…?" Ino smiled again at her son, "C'mon Choji honey, say your word for Mommy and Daddy!"

Realization was slowly dawning on Shikamaru, "Uh…Ino, love…I don't think—"

Choji looked up at his father and giggled at the expression caught between humor, terror and pride Shikamaru now wore. "Men-say!" Choji bellowed proudly, pointing at his father and beaming at the attention he was attaining.

"Oooh!" Ino clapped her hands at the giggling child, "Good boy, Choji! That's Mommy's big boy! Oooh, Shika! What's he trying to say?" Ino un-strapped the boy from his highchair and bounced him slightly on her hip, beaming at her child like a lunatic.

"Men-say!" Choji squeaked again, happy to be free of his confines, as Ino kissed him tenderly on the cheek and smiled even wider.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his grinning son. "Oi…Mendoukusai…" he muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head slightly.

"Oh, Shikamaru, how is our son's first—" The connection slowly formed in her mind.

"Word—" The smile slowly vanished from her lips. Shikamaru could hear it coming and he mentally checked the room for an escape route. There wasn't any.

"…Men…douku…sai?" Ino blinked once, her smile now replaced with a look of helpless disbelief. She glanced at her son, who was still beaming, obvious to his father's impending doom. "Mendoukusai?" she repeated.

"Men-say!" Choji joyously giggled, happy that his mother understood him.

"Men…douku…_sai_!" Ino turned to her husband, eyes flashing dangerously. "_Men_douku_sai! _Nara Shikamaru! _What_ in the world have you been teaching your son! I never—"

"Ino…dear," Shikamaru groaned, "I didn't _mean_ for him to pick up on it…it just sort of happened…I guess…"

"Shikamaru! That…you call _that_ an _excuse_ for teaching our son that…that ­_word_!"

"Aw, Ino…" Shikamaru pleaded. Ino shook her head and made a sound of disgust at her husband before handing Choji over.

"Men-say?" the child queried, not pleased with the sudden change in his mother's attitude. Ino threw her hands up in the air and returned to preparing dinner while muttering something about being married to the idiot of all idiots and how that particular idiot of all idiots happened to be a rather bad example to his offspring.

Shikamaru slowly backed out of the kitchen to avoid his more of his wife's wrath, knowing full well that he was only delaying further retribution. He slouched onto the couch, plopped Choji in his lap, and sighed, resting his head on the back of the sofa. After contemplating the ceiling for a short moment, he lifted his head and raised an eyebrow at his son. Choji mimicked the expression as best he could and uttered a soft, "Men-say?"

Shikamaru chuckled slightly and smirked, "That's my boy…mendoukusai indeed."

"I heard that!" Ino shrieked from the kitchen.

**-!-!-**

Post-fic A/N: Hn… :shrug: …Kinda short...-.-; but efgh…oh well…All reviews are appreciated and constructive criticism is _greatly_ encouraged; I have the feeling that this is somewhat…incomplete? -.-;;;; Oh, and any flames are welcome too; actually, my muses have been a little chilly as of late…and they don't much care for being cold XD heh heh…

Either way, thank you for reading .


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